We argued at the time that lorry drivers need to have places to park and get good food at good prices.

We offered to put up a new building with showers and better facilities for everyone to use, but the council and Highways Agency were not interested. They just wanted us closed, despite knowing we had invested a lot of money and we were going to lose it all.

We knew what people wanted on that land because we were there from 5.30am to 10pm. We served everyone, from lorry drivers to people on walks, anglers and the emergency services.

We picked litter every day but what did the councillors say then? "Oh, we cannot have a lorry park next to a picnic area. Well, not unless the lorry drivers are prepared to pay £20 a night to park. Then they can call it a services."

Also, when travellers have parked illegally on this site in the past the council has been the first to complain and the public toilets would remain closed because the council staff would not open them.

As for the people of Wansford, ask your parish council why they wanted us out. As we said, we wanted to build a new building, look after the area, pick up litter, cut the grass and build a children's play area and at no cost to the taxpayer.

All we wanted in return was to have a full lease and four signs on the A1 and A47 advertising what we were and where we were. Now, instead, you have got a large area of ground which is going to cost all local taxpayers money for its upkeep.

I wish we had been bankers. We could have given ourselves large bonuses, gone to the wall then got bailed out by the normal people, like cafe owners.
D Partridge

A matter of time before someone dies
I WRITE regarding your article 'Mum in road safety protest', on October 9.

My family and I have lived in Paston Lane for about 15 years. I have lost count of the number of accidents down this road. After coming off the bend where Wendy Forman (the mother in the article) lives, they are on a straight to Lincoln Road, where they let rip.

We have motorbikes going hell for leather down the road, as well as boy racers.

Over the years I have seen cars career straight on to Lincoln road as they were going too fast to stop, a motorcycle rider flying through the air after colliding with a car, a taxi hit a parked car then carry on through the fence of the front garden to the front door of a house, and a car mount the pavement, hit a road sign and bend the pole in half.

By some luck, no one was on the pavement or in the car parked there at the time.

The worst spot is by the corner shop, where people park on the yellow lines to nip in even though there is plenty of room down the road 10 or 20 yards away. When the council fitted bollards there to stop people parking, they just park two feet further out so they can open their doors.

This area should be red lines for no stopping at all, not yellow.